The Lost Aurelianus
by Alice Harkey
Summary: Merlin arrived in Camelot 3 years ago with no memory of who he was. Can he learn the secrets to his past and keep his magic hidden from Arthur at the same time? Rated T just in case. Annah OC
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN MERLIN! BBC DOES! **

**AN- hey y'all! I couldn't wait to publish this story I was just so excited about it! So Pulled Under is still being written. BTW I think that I saw the name "Aurelianus" somewhere in another fanfiction, and i thought it was really cool so I decided to use it. I really hope you don't mind and i'm now stating a disclaimer to the name "Aurelianus" but anyways enjoy the story!**

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><p>It was the usual bright, sunny day in Camelot. Arthur was running a bandit through with his sword and Merlin was working his magic. Like I said; it was a usual day in Camelot. Well, it was for everyone except Merlin. It was the third anniversary of his arrival in Camelot, and Gaius was determined on making a big deal out of it.<p>

"Merlin," Arthur said as he wiped the blood from his sword, "Why is Gaius requesting permission to get food from the royal kitchens for tonight?"

Merlin smacked his face into his hands and groaned with irritation.

"He really is going to drive me crazy with all of this!" Merlin complained. Arthur shot him a confused look.

"What's he doing?" Arthur asked, and the rest of the knights gathered around, taking interest in the conversation.

"Three years ago I came to Camelot on this very day… it's the anniversary of my arrival. Though I honestly don't know why Gaius is making such a big deal out of it," Merlin complained.

"Nor do I understand his reasons," Arthur snorted. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to tell his that his request is denied. We'll need all of the food to entertain our guests that are arriving," Arthur explained.

During all the talk, they had remounted their horses and began to head back to Camelot. Arthur and Merlin rode in the front flanked by Lancelot and Gwaine. Behind them rode Leon, Elyan, and Percival.

"So who is coming to Camelot again?" Merlin asked. Arthur rolled his eyes at his servant.

"The Royal family of Dissidia; King Balinor Aurelianus had requested permission for him and his family to visit Camelot for the week," the prince explained.

"Oh," Merlin said, getting more interested. "Why?"

"Well, the King claims that he would like to sign a treaty with our kingdom. He believes that a treaty will be beneficial for both our kingdoms, and honestly I think he's right. My father did too, so he allowed them to come…" Arthur trailed off.

"But you think there's something else, don't you?" Lancelot asked, entering the conversation. Arthur nodded.

"Their son disappeared about three years ago and they've been desperately trying to find him since then. "

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gwaine asked, also joining the conversation.

"Well, I've heard that their daughter, Princess Annah, left for Camelot early to try and find her brother. I think she believes that he may be here," the prince explained.

"And?" Elyan asked.

"Her parents came with the same hope of finding their son…" Merlin asked. But he said the words as a statement.

"Correct," Arthur said nodding. "You know, I find it amazing, Merlin," Arthur began, turning his head to look at his servant. "The lost Prince's name is Merlin." A symphony of whispers erupted behind the two and Merlin was struck with surprise. He felt extremely honored to share a name with the Prince of Dissidia.

"What I don't understand though, is how two people who are so unbelievably different can share the same name," the blonde snorted.

"Yes, I've hear of Prince Merlin," Leon said. "He's said to be extremely skilled with a sword. He'd probably put up a good fight against you, Arthur." The knight all joined in laughter.

"He probably would," laughed the prince.

"Yes, I've heard of him too," Percival finally said. He was always so quiet that everyone jumped when they'd heard his voice. They'd forgotten that he was there. "I heard he was amazingly strong for being such a skinny thing." The knight smiled.

"He sounds impressive," Merlin laughed along. Suddenly, Arthur's tone shifted and he looked upset.

"His birthday would've been this week," Arthur said quietly. Everyone had silenced themselves to hear his words. "I guess that's why they're pushing so hard to find their son. The Aurelianus' are a very close family… they must miss Prince Merlin more than we can imagine."

Everyone had fallen silent as the depressing mood set in over the group. Merlin, most of all was quiet and deep in thought. His birthday was that week. He was glad that he could at least remember his birthday, because he didn't remember anything else from before his arrival in Camelot. The only other things he remembered were his name and his mother's name. Oh, and the fact that he had magic.

At first, Merlin had been so scared upon his arrival in Camelot. He remembered briefly something about a man named Gaius, and that he was a friend. He'd headed to Gaius and he was thankful that he had. Gaius had taken him in and treated him like a son, reassuring him that his forgotten memories would come back when the time was right.

Merlin was torn away from his thoughts by Gwaine.

"Hey, Merlin, you alive there!" the knight yelled at Merlin. Merlin jumped, taking a deep and sudden breath.

"I'm fine," the servant reassured. He decided not to dwell on his thoughts for the remainder of the ride and they rode in complete silence. Well, everyone except for Gwaine, who was, as usual, babbling on about nothing.

They finally arrived back in Camelot and Arthur had been summoned to the throne room by his father.

"Go take care of the horses, Merlin," Arthur said dismounting his horse and handing the reins to the raven-haired boy. Merlin nodded. "Oh, and you'll need to polish my armor, clean my chambers, wash my clothes, and I'll need help preparing to greet our guests tomorrow. We'll have a lot to do in the morning, so don't be late tomorrow. After you've finished everything I've told you to do you can head home."

"Of course, Sire," Merlin said, slightly bowing his head in respect. In truth he was just being smart about it all. They'd just gotten back from patrol! How dirty could Arthur's chambers be that Merlin was required to clean them? Merlin went and took care of the horses then reluctantly trudged off to Arthur's chambers that 'needed to be cleaned'.

The prince never ceased to amaze his servant at how much of a slob he was. Arthur must've made it back to his chambers before heading to meet his father. Dirty clothes and smudged armor was scattered across the floor. Merlin shook his head at the sad sight.

Merlin gathered the armor from the floor and let out an exasperated breath. The room was a disaster, and he knew he could clean it easily with a single thought. With his hands full, he decided, what the heck. He glanced out the door to check if the coast was clear, there was no one in sight, so he slipped back into the room and with a flash of his eyes, the room was cleaning itself.

It took all but three minutes for the room to finish cleaning itself. Merlin nodded with satisfaction and headed to the armory to polish the prat's armor.

The day felt so long and endless, and after endless hours of doing chores for the prince, he finally made it back to his room and was eager to get some sleep. Merlin sat on his bed grateful that Gaius wasn't there at the moment. That meant that the physician couldn't give his ward any extra chores to do.

Merlin warily flopped onto his bed and fell into a warm and welcomed sleep, until the sleep produced a dream.

_Merlin woke up finding himself in the woods. 'When did I get here? Where am I?' he thought. He was wearing torn and tattered clothes that didn't even really look like clothes. They looked more like rags. Merlin didn't quite remember who he was or what was going on. He knew his name but, that was one thing he was certain of, but everything else was a black, empty abyss. _

_The lost boy walked until he found himself in a village. _

"_Um, excuse me," Merlin said getting the attention of a woman passing by him. She stopped and horror spread across her face. "Where am I?" Merlin asked._

"_Uh, you're in Camelot. Are you okay?" the woman asked worriedly as she scanned over the boy. _

"_Well, I'm afraid I don't remember much at all," he said. The woman nodded. _

"_You could go see Gaius, the Court Physician. He's up in the castle, and I'm sure he may be able to help you," she said pointing toward the beautiful castle. _

"_Thank you," Merlin said and he made his way up to the castle. The name Gaius seemed familiar to him, though he had no idea why or how to explain it. He was freezing and wrapped his cloak tighter around himself… well, what was left of his cloak. He didn't remember wearing a cloak furrowed his brow as he examined the tattered, brilliant red and blue cloth. _

_Finally he reached the castle and Merlin asked one of the guards where he could find the Court Physician. The guard had the same reaction as the woman and an expression of horror spread across his face. 'Wow, I must really look bad' Merlin thought to himself._

"_He- He's up there," the guard said pointing up a flight of steep stairs. _

"_Thank you," Merlin said gratefully. He made his way up the steps slowly. His entire body hurt, and again, he had no idea why. He finally reached the door with a sign next to it that read: Court Physician._

"_Hello?" Merlin said quietly as he popped his head through the door. The old man was looking at books at the top of the room. Merlin stepped in and cleared his throat and the man turned around attempting to say something, but the rail he'd leaned against had broke and sent the old man plunging toward the stone floor._

_On pure instinct, Merlin had slowed down time and let his eyes scan the room. His eyes fell on a small bed and with another flash of his eyes the bed flew under the falling man. Time went back to its original speed and the man landed on the bed with a loud thud!_

"_What did you just do?" the physician exclaimed. _

"_Oh that wasn't me! It was nothing to do with me, it was—" Merlin panicked._

"_I know what it was; I just want to know where you learned how to do it!" the short man yelled. It seemed the realization of how Merlin looked had finally struck Gaius. A terrified look spread across his face._

"_What?" Merlin asked._

"_Who are you? And what happened to you, my boy?" the doctor asked as he ushered Merlin to the patient bed. Merlin sat down and winced at the pain that shot through him._

"_I- I'm Merlin," he said through the pain._

"_And what happened?" _

"_I'm not sure. I don't remember anything except that my name is Merlin, and my mother. I don't remember her name but I remember what she looks like."_

"_And obviously you remember how to do magic," Gaius laughed. _

"_Well actually that was more instinctive than anything else. I'd forgotten I was born with magic," Merlin frowned. The physician frowned too, at a loss for what to say next._

"_What's this?" Gaius asked lifting the torn cloak._

"_Not sure. It was there when I woke up." Merlin said inspecting the cloth as well. _

"_Well, why don't we get you into some better clothes. We can dispose of these rags," Gaius said softly. Instinctively, Merlin clutched the blue and red fabric in his hands. "Do you want to keep it?" Gaius asked._

_Merlin took off the cape and scanned over its remains. It felt like it was a part of who he was._

"_I want to keep part of it," Merlin breathed. He found two spots that looked tear-free enough to keep. One spot was on the blue fabric and the other was on the red. Gaius helped the boy cut the pieces out and they made great neckerchiefs. _

"_Thank you, Gaius," Merlin said softly._

"_Any time, my boy," the doctor replied._

"Merlin!"

Merlin jumped up into a sitting position. Gaius was standing in the doorway.

"Oi, what are you doing sleeping?" the doctor yelled angrily.

"I- I'm sorry Gaius!" Merlin apologized. The old man saw something was troubling his ward and sat on the bed next to him.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Merlin rubbed a hand over his face.

"I had that dream again," he groaned. He hadn't had that dream in almost a year and a half. It wasn't necessarily a nightmare to anyone else, but to Merlin it was terrifying. It reminded him about how little he still knew about himself.

"Oh, my boy," Gaius whispered sympathetically, and he wrapped his arms around the young warlock.

"What does it mean?" Merlin asked desperately.

"I'm not sure." Merlin knew the physician was lying. He could see it in his eyes, but he was too upset to do anything about it. "Why don't you go back to sleep," Gaius suggested.

"Gladly!" Merlin exclaimed and he let his head hit his pillow again.

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><p><strong>END NOTE- How did you like it?<strong>

**Random person: "They hated it..." **

**Me: "No they didn't!"**

**lol oh well. I hope you enjoyed it. **

**For the record, in this story there is NO AGRAVAINE! YESSSS I hate that bastard! lol oh and Freya's not dead or cursed. she was injured and merlin saved her life but left to keep Merlin safe because she loved him. :) Until next time...!**

**~Allie-K**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN/ Hello my lovely little friends! Here's the 2nd chapter! I hope you like it- no, I hope you LOVE it! I know I do! LOL anyways I was typing this ALL DAY! yep! all day! LOL I just have no life... unless you count spending all day on a computer typing up fanfics for yourself and your beloved fans having a life. BTW, thank you to "Random person #2" aka _Melody Garnet_ for sticking up for me. You will not be forgotten! haha well enjoy!**

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><p>Merlin woke to the bright, early morning sun and stretched his tired limbs. He wasn't sure how he could still feel so exhausted; he'd just woken up. But the dream had played through his mind again that night, leaving his with a sort of restless sleep.<p>

"I am _not _looking forward to today," Merlin whispered to himself as he reluctantly rose from his bed. He dressed for the day and found Gaius with a special breakfast for him.

"Well, it's good to see you're still alive," Gaius said with relief. Merlin cocked his head to the side. "You don't remember last night?" he asked.

"No," Merlin said shaking his head. "All I remember was the dream and when you woke me up."

"Interesting," the old man said, studying his ward. "You woke up last night screaming. It about scared me half to death; I thought someone was trying to murder you!"

Merlin gave Gaius another puzzled look.

"I had another one of those dreams, but this one was different," Merlin said.

"What was this dream about?"

"I—"Merlin stopped, searching through his memory for the answer. He tried to remember what the dream was about, but the harder he tried to remember, the faster it all seemed to slip away. "I don't remember," he said, sounding almost disappointed.

"Hmm," the physician nodded. "Well, you best get going or Arthur will have your head," Gaius laughed. Merlin laughed and headed out the door to the kitchen to prepare the prince's breakfast.

Merlin realized how early it was and was amazed that he'd managed to get up himself. Even most of the servants were still sleeping. Merlin entered the kitchen and prepared Arthur's plate; three slices each of bread, cheese, and meat. He made his way to the prince's chambers.

"You're up early," Arthur said as Merlin walked through the door.

"You're up?" Merlin asked stupidly. Of course he was up! Merlin walked over to the table and set down the platter.

"Yes, some of the knights are up too. My father has ordered me to go on another patrol this morning. It won't be a long one, but…" Merlin understood what Arthur was saying and groaned with annoyance. "I'm just as annoyed by this as you, Merlin. But, my father wants me to make sure that everything will be under control while the King, Queen, and Princess of Dissidia are here."

"Well, that's understandable," Merlin replied. "Why didn't you tell me by the way? I always get dragged along with you on those things and had I been late this morning, well you would've had my head!" Merlin exclaimed.

"No, I wouldn't have gotten angry. I tried to tell you last night, but Gaius said you were feeling well," Arthur explained. "How are you feeling today?" Arthur asked with concern. Merlin was a bit surprised that Arthur was showing concern for him, but didn't show his surprise.

"Better than I was," the servant answered. "But, I have been better."

"May I know what your ailment was?" Arthur asked folding his arms. Merlin didn't quite understand the sudden change in mood and hesitated before answering the now irritated Prince Arthur.

"It was just a bad headache…" Merlin said. Arthur narrowed his eyes at Merlin. He knew his servant wasn't necessarily telling the truth, and Arthur wanted the truth. Merlin knew the look on Arthur's face.

"Please, I don't want to talk about it," Merlin pleaded quietly.

"Fine," the blonde breathed. "Go prepare the horses. I already have my things packed."

"Wow," Merlin praised, "You're up _and _you've already packed; I'm impressed."

"Oh, shut up!"

Merlin headed for the stables to prepare the horses for him and Arthur, finding the knights there as well. Leon, Percival, Lancelot, Elyan, and Gwaine were all preparing their horses for the patrol.

"Merlin," Gwaine chimed happily, "So you _will_ be joining us for patrol today! We'd heard you weren't feeling well," the dark-haired knight laughed. Merlin frowned, unimpressed by his friend's unnecessary comment.

"How are you feeling?" Lancelot asked. Merlin was becoming slightly irritated at how much fuss people were making over him. He didn't like the attention much and he hadn't since the day he'd woken up in the middle of a forest.

"Better…" Merlin replied monotonous. Before any of the knights had a chance to reply Arthur came in demanding to know what was taking so long.

"Sorry, Sire. We were just caught up in a bit of conversation, that's all," Leon laughed lightly. They all pulled their horses from the stables and mounted themselves on the saddles, ready to leave for patrol.

They rode fast to the north, until they reached the edge of a forest, slowing their pace to a trot.

"I'm still curious about what was wrong with Merlin," Gwaine said. Merlin rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Merlin snapped. Gwaine looked hurt by Merlin's harsh response and didn't know how to respond, so they rode for a while longer in silence.

"Alright this silence is going to kill me!" Gwaine complained. "I'd rather listen to my own mother babble on about dresses than sit in silence!"

"You're mother talks to you about _dresses_?" Elyan asked. "My mother used to go on about cooking!"

"I bet Arthur's mother used to go on about how her princess was going to be so beautiful," Gwaine commented.

"You shouldn't talk about a man's dead mother, Gwaine. It's disrespectful," Percival said disapprovingly.

"Thank you, Percival," Arthur said. "At least his family taught him to show so some respect."

"Hey, not every can be born into a family as well of as Percival's was. I was born a peasant here in Camelot!" Elyan shouted, offended.

"Elyan, it doesn't matter where you're born. Take Merlin for example, I'll bet he wasn't born anywhere special, yet he has just as much respect for us and the rest of the royal family as Percival does," Leon said, motioning his hand from Merlin to Percival.

Merlin sighed a bit in irritation at how much his name was being mentioned in the conversation. He didn't even know where he was born and with Leon suggesting that he did bothered him. It always bothered him when he was reminded about the things he'd forgotten.

"We should stop to feed and water the horses. We've been riding for a couple hours and I'm sure the horses are hungry," Arthur said dismounting his horse. Everyone else followed suit and dismounted their horses. "Merlin, would you—"

"Yea I know," Merlin said as he reached into the pack that Arthur had filled before their departure from Camelot. He fed the horses and sat on a log resting on the ground nearby. Lancelot sat next to his raven-haired friend.

"Alright, something's bothering you," the knight said.

"Yea, so?" Merlin replied.

"Merlin, we're your friends, you can tell us," Leon said as the rest of the knights gathered around the two. Even Arthur gathered with them and seated himself on the other side of his servant.

"Are you missing your mother, Merlin?" Arthur asked teasingly. Merlin frowned and a single tear ran down his cheek.

"I don't remember my mother. The only memory I have of her is what she looks like," Merlin said sadly. Lancelot rubbed sympathetic and comforting hand on Merlin's back. It seemed he thought that Merlin was saying his mother was dead.

"I'm so sorry—" Arthur began but Merlin kept talking.

"I don't even remember who I am," Merlin muttered. His voice was shaking with fear.

"Merlin… what's wrong?" Lancelot asked calmly. Merlin looked around at all of the knights and at the prince, his eyes lingering on him the longest.

"Three years ago, I woke up in the middle of a forest with no memory of who I was, where I was, or what had happened. The only thing I remembered was that my name was Merlin. I briefly remembered my mother's name, but I had forgotten it almost instantly after I woke up," Merlin said, his voice and body quivering with fear.

Leon's face twisted into an expression of horror.

"_You_ were that boy," Leon chocked out. "There was a boy in the lower town that had been asking where he was. He looked absolutely terrible; his clothes were in shreds and he looked beaten to the bone!" Leon said kneeling down in front of Merlin to look at his directly.

Merlin nodded, more tears sliding down his cheeks.

"I was so scared, but I tried so hard not to show it… honestly I have no idea why. Every night since that day, I'd had the same dream over and over again. It was my memory of that very day, and it scared me so much! It's terrifying to wake up in the morning just to realize that you still have no idea who you are." Merlin wrapped his arms tightly around himself as if trying to keep himself from falling apart.

"Merlin… I had no idea," Arthur whispered apologetically.

"I know; that's how I wanted it to be…"Merlin said absentmindedly. "It had been about a year and a half since I'd had that dream though, but last night it happened again," Merlin said, staring off into space with a puzzled expression on his face. "Only this time, there were two dreams; one of them was different. I can't remember what the dream was but I know it was different.

"I didn't notice you being all upset until today," Gwaine stated.

"I wasn't upset until today. I'd started a new life here; I had friends, a job… I had started a life that I was able to remember and it made me feel _so happy_," Merlin said smiling. "I tried forgetting everything from that day. The only things I kept were these," he said tugging lightly at the red fabric tied around his neck. "I have a blue one too. I had this cloak and wanted to keep some of it. It felt like it was part of who I was," Merlin explained. Everyone had generally remained silent as Merlin had told his story except for Gwaine who threw out random comments that no one cared to listen to.

Arthur eyed the cloth around Merlin's neck curiously.

"What _are _you doing, Arthur?" Lancelot asked.

"Merlin, may I see that for a second?" he asked pointing at the red neckerchief. Merlin furrowed his brow, but obeyed. He untied the fabric and handed it to Arthur who began to spread the material out. His eyes widened as the red fabric unfurled, revealing a brilliant silver crest.

"What is it?" Percival asked, leaning in closer to look.

"This- this is the crest of the Royal family of Dissidia…" Arthur stuttered. Merlin just sat with the same confused look on his face. 'What does this mean?' Merlin thought to himself as he took in the silver crest on the red cotton.

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><p><strong>END NOTE- So? how was it?<strong>

**Random person: "Terrible..."  
><strong>**Me: "Damnit! I thought you finally decided to leave me alone!"  
><strong>**Random person: "And what gave you that impression?"**

**I'm just gonna ignore her^ it's for the best. Anywhooooooooo this chapter might not have been the best cuz i was half out of it while typing it. I was listening to music (and still am) while I was typing it and I listen to music really loud. Especially when it's Hatsune Miku! So yea I was out of it... just a little. Tell me how I did though, because I _did_ pause the music every once in a while to actually think about what I was typing! Also, chapter updates might take a while since I'm working on 3 fanfics at the same time right now. Well, LATERZ!**

**~Allie-K**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN/ Okay so I think this is probably the best written chapter I've done for this story so far. It certainly won't be the best chapter overall but I'm hoping to keep writing chapter with as much detail as this one; maybe even more detail! Haha! Anywhoooo Read and Review please? Just a request, you don't have to. But, ENJOY!**

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><p>"What's that?" Gwaine asked, snapping out of a kind of daze and he leaned in to examine the cloth closer. Percival reached over and smacked Gwaine on the back of the head.<p>

"He just said what it was! Weren't you listening?" Percival shouted.

Leon stood, "May I?" he asked holding out his hand. Arthur handed him the faded fabric and Leon looked it over in thought.

"Maybe he was a member of the Court," Elyan suggested. Everyone knew that it was very unlikely that Merlin had simply been a member of the Dissidian Court; he had way too much in common with the lost Prince. But Merlin just looked so fragile, so broken, that nobody dared to speak their minds.

Merlin felt almost terrified of the overwhelming thought in his mind, but Elyan's words had set his mind at ease just a little. He could handle being a member of the Court, but being a Prince… Merlin almost laughed at the thought. It was the undeniable evidence that scared Merlin. He knew so little of his life before arriving in Camelot, knew so little about himself, and had so much in common with the lost Aurelianus, that there was every possibility that he could be Prince Merlin. And if he was a prince, he'd be expected to act like one. 'How would I act like a Prince? I certainly don't want to act like a prat, like Arthur…' Merlin thought to himself. Sure, he was the King of the Druids and a High King of the Old Religion, but nobody but he himself and the Druids knew that; not including a handful of other people. He didn't know how to act like royalty in public, though! He must've known how to act as a prince once before, but it was different. He didn't ever remember being a prince, so he had no memory of what he could've been like as royalty. 'I still could've just been a member of the Court' Merlin reminded himself.

Merlin had zoned out, everything around him fading into a blur of faces and voices. He had so many thoughts going through his mind. If he was the Prince of Dissidia, why was he here in Camelot? He wondered what had happened to him and, if he was the Prince, why he wasn't in his own kingdom. Would he be forced to go back to his kingdom? What would happen to his life in Camelot? What would become of the destiny he and Arthur were meant to share? Merlin was completely lost in thought and he stayed that way until he felt a strong hand on his shoulder accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Merlin? Merlin! Are you okay?" Arthur asked shaking the servant's shoulder slightly. The warlock snapped his eyes shut and shook his head, bringing his thoughts to the present. Merlin nodded in response and said,

"I was just… thinking."

"Merlin, you don't remember _anything _from before you came to Camelot?" Arthur asked as if to reassure himself. The boy shook his head.

"I only remember what happened from the point when I woke up all through now," he explained. He decided to try and give Arthur and the knights a little more information than that. For all he knew, they could possibly help him remember his past! Besides, he trusted all of them with his life.

"And I remember a few other things, but…" he trailed off, thinking of how to explain the instinctive reactions he'd always had; like somehow managing to know exactly which way to move in order to dodge most of Arthur's blows while training, when he knew nothing on the art of sword fighting. Or like how he sometimes could give a person factual information about a topic or place he knew nothing about. He definitely wouldn't tell them about how he'd instinctively used his magic to save Gaius though.

"Like what?" Arthur pressed.

"Well, when you're out training, do you know how you always swing at me, but I somehow manage to dodge the blows?"

"Yes…" Arthur responded hesitantly. "By the way I still think you're lying when you say you don't know anything about sword fighting."

"I was telling the truth about that! When I dodge your blows, I don't really know what I'm doing. Well, I guess you could say that I do, because it feels like I know what I'm doing, but I don't actually _know_ what I'm doing!" Merlin explained breathlessly.

Arthur seemed to believe Merlin, because he stood silent, waiting for Merlin to continue.

"I have been able to give facts about things and places that I've never even heard of, and somehow, someway, the information I give is completely accurate! It's like I instinctively remember things, but I have no actual memory of them."

"That sounds so cool!" Gwaine explained. Of course, leave it to Gwaine to try and be funny in a serious situation. Everyone rolled their eyes at the dark-haired knight.

"We should probably be heading back to Camelot," Arthur said standing and handing the neckerchief back to Merlin. He placed his hands on his hips in that royal manner. "We'll have to be ready to greet the King and Queen," he said looking at Merlin. Actually, everyone's eyes trailed toward Merlin and the warlock retied the cloth back around his neck, oblivious to the eyes that watched him.

"Of course, Sire," Merlin said standing and walking over to his horse. Arthur suddenly felt that it was wrong for Merlin to be calling him 'Sire'. In fact he felt that it wasn't right to have Merlin as a servant anymore, in light of recent discoveries. But Arthur and the knights simply mounted their horses not saying a single word about it. After all, all of this was just a possibility. They had no proof that Merlin actually _was _a prince.

They were all caught up in thoughts about Merlin being a Prince, and some, especially Gwaine, tried not to laugh at the seemingly ridiculous thought.

Merlin had thought that, finally, they'd had a patrol go perfectly fine. There were no attacks, no one was injured or dying, basically, nothing happened. Of course that wasn't true; tons had happened. Suddenly, the sound of shouting men had interrupted everyone's thoughts. They were being attacked by bandits… again. Everyone jumped off their horses and drew their swords. All except for Merlin, who jumped from his horse, but didn't have a sword.

Arthur stabbed one man as another charged him from behind.

"Arthur, watch out!" Merlin shouted, but it seemed he would be too late. The man was approaching fast and there was precious little time to react. Instinctively, Merlin picked up one of the swords lying on the ground; it must've belonged to one of the bandits. Merlin charged at the man coming up behind Arthur, and clenched the sword tight in both hands. One hit was all it took, and the bandit fell to the ground.

Merlin found himself killing another bandit that had charged at him and Arthur, and soon was killing the filth left and right. His moves were precise and accurate; he felt like he knew exactly what he was doing, executing moves that could only be performed by a swordsman with great experience.

The last bandit fell to the ground, and he spun around to face Arthur and the knights, who were gawking in disbelief at what they'd just witnessed: Merlin being anything _but _Merlin. Arthur's eyes fell to the sword in Merlin's hand then floated back up to his face.

"Uh, I…" Merlin stuttered. He walked over to Arthur and held the sword out awkwardly with one hand. "Uh, sorry," he mumbled as Arthur limply took the weapon from the boy.

"What… was… _that_?" Arthur asked. Merlin opened his mouth to answer then closed it. He tried to start over.

"Instinct," was all that Merlin said, and still the knights stood speechless. The warlock quickly remounted his horse and continued to ride west to Camelot. Arthur quickly did the same and the knights followed suit.

"You mean to say that back there, what you did…" Arthur finally began after riding in silence for a while. "You mean to say that was _instinct_?"

"Yes… it was. I saw you were in trouble and I had to help. So, I just pick up the sword and…" Merlin didn't need to finish the sentence. Arthur knew what he was going to say.

"Maybe you _are _Prince Merlin Aurelianus of Dissidia," Arthur laughed.

"I know you think it sounds ridiculous, so go ahead and laugh all you want." Merlin chuckled. "Even _I'm _laughing at it!"

Lancelot sped up to ride next to Merlin.

"Why are _you_ laughing at it? Is it really that hard to believe that you may be a Prince?"

"Yes!" Merlin laughed again. "Yes it is because I'm not a prince, I'm a servant and that's all I'll ever be, and honestly, that's all I ever want to be," Merlin said casually.

"You'd rather be a servant your entire life?" Arthur asked surprised.

"Better to be a loyal servant that to be an arrogant, supercilious, patronizing, prat, such as yourself," Merlin said to the blonde prince. Arthur drew and a breath, pretending to be insulted by the playful banter. "Even though you are all of that, I'm still happy being your servant, Arthur. I've seen the goodness in your heart. You're caring, honest, you follow your heart, and that will make you a great King one day, Arthur. I know it," Merlin said. Arthur, once again, couldn't find any words to use and was completely baffled.

"You even _sound_ like a Prince now!" Lancelot said smiling. Merlin drew his lips into a tight line.

"No, I'm more of a wise servant who is overlooked by his superiors," Merlin replied shaking his head. He burst out in laughter with Arthur and Lancelot, who seemed to be the only two whose brains weren't fried. Then again, Percival was usually quiet, so there was no telling if he was still in shock or if he was simply being quiet.

It was silent for a moment longer as they continued their ride back to Camelot. They'd be there soon and Merlin wasn't sure if he was glad to be home or not. Of course he hated patrols, but he needed the fresh air and was grateful that he'd gotten some.

"Do you think that, if I am the… prince, that I'll remember everything when I see my— when I see the King and Queen?" Merlin asked timidly.

"Perhaps you will, Merlin. And if you do, will you be sure to tell us?" Elyan said finally speaking since Merlin had struck down almost all of the bandits.

"Of course I will," Merlin said quietly.

They had reached Camelot and galloped to the gates.

"Prince Arthur has returned! Inform the King!" one of the guards shouted. They made it to the courtyard of the castle and dismounted their horses. Merlin reached to grab the reins of Arthur's horse when he suddenly pulled them away from him.

"Merlin I want you to come with me to speak to my father," he said taking the reins of Merlin's horse into his own hands. "Gwaine, will you take care of the horses?" he asked sounding as if he were actually giving the knight a choice.

"Of course, Sire," he replied. He gave the prince a deep bow then led the horses to the stables.

"Why exactly do you want me to be with you when you talk to your father?" Merlin asked, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.

"You'll see, Merlin. You'll see," Arthur said as he dragged Merlin up the stone steps and into the castle.

"See what?" Merlin pleaded. 'Don't tell him who you think I am. Please! Please, for the love of god, don't tell Uther!' Merlin screamed in unvoiced desperation.

"Oh would you just shut up, Merlin? Honestly, I don't think I've ever met a bigger wimp in my entire life!" the prat complained. At least he was treating Merlin like a servant again, which was exactly what Merlin wanted. Being important meant that people's attention was brought to you, and if people paid more attention to Merlin, then that would mean a harder life. After all, Merlin was a warlock in Camelot; the last thing he wanted was attention.

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><p><strong>END NOTE- So what did you think? Is it moving anywhere? Is it moving as fast as you'd like it to? C'mon people, I want feedback! Haha! I'm going to be working on the next chapter of Pulled Under after this so I might not update for a little while. I want the last chapters of my fist Merlin fanfiction to be the most EPIC chapters in the history of fanfictions LOL so the finale of Pulled Under might be a two-parter. I may have one chapter before the finale but I'm still not sure, which is why it might take a while. I've put off the finale long enough, and I think my fans are giving up on me :( so i have to publish the chapter for them! <strong>

**Honestly, for this story, about more than half of it I'm just making up as I go along, so if it's that terrible you know why. But, it's not terrible, is it? LOL I seem to be super self-conscious about what others think of my writing and my stories. I always want people to be proud of me! **

**Enough of the ooey gooey emotional stuff LOL I just hope you enjoyed every word of this chapter and- OH MY GOD the representation of the undermining part of my conscious isn't here! HALLELUJAH! HAHA anyways... Bless Your Face! If You Sneezed While Reading This Fanfiction, Bless You. Peace Off! (Can anyone tell me what that's from? XD)**

**~Allie-K**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN/ sorry for the long wait. I was typing chapters of Pulled Under so I haven't been able to get much of this one done. I'm sorry this chapter is so short. My brain kind of fried on me so the end might be a tad bit bad. sorry in advance. I hope you enjoy most of it though if not all of it. I've got a case of those blasted plotbunnies but I already feel swamped with all the work I do on my other stories. UGH life is hard on you sometimes. But anyways, ENJOY and review if you want to.**

The walk to the throne room seemed to be agonizingly long and painful. It wasn't until they were nearly halfway there that Merlin voiced his thoughts.

"Arthur, please for the love of god, don't tell Uther- I mean please don't tell King Uther, sire." Merlin clasped his hands together behind his back as they continued to walk at a slower pace.

"Why on earth not?" Arthur asked.

"He might accuse me of lying or trying to… oh I don't know enchant you or something like that! You know how closed your father's mind is!" Merlin explained in a hushed tone. Uther was always trying to connect things to sorcery.

"Oh, please, Merlin! Don't be such a princess!" Arthur laughed. He had planned on calling him a girl, like every other time, but since all the facts seemed to state that Merlin was a prince, he couldn't very well just call him a _girl_.

They'd approached they throne room and Merlin bit back the retort he'd wanted to spit out at Arthur. Arthur pushed open the large, brown doors and stood tall and proud in front of his king; in front of his father.

"I suspect that your patrol went well," the king said standing to face his son.

"We did have a run-in with a couple of bandits, but we took care of them. Actually," Arthur began, glancing over at Merlin, pulling his lips up into a small and amazed smile. "Merlin, took care of them."

"_Merlin_? _He _took care of them? I hardly believe that, Arthur. You're being too modest." Uther turned from his son just to spin around to face him again.

"Father, I wish I were. Merlin really did defeat most of the bandits, and, honestly, no one understands how that was even possible!" Arthur said raising his voice that still held a tone of surprise.

Uther scanned his eyes over Merlin's scrawny frame.

"He must've been using magic… Guards, arrest him," Uther commanded, his voice even and casual.

"Father, you can't be serious!" the prince retorted. "He was standing right in front of me and my knights! If he were using magic, I'm sure I would've seen it!"

Uther doubted his son's senses momentarily, but there was something genuine in his voice that the King just couldn't ignore.

"Send for Gaius. He'll tell us whether it was possible that he was using magic or not," Uther shouted. "Lock him in the dungeons until we know for sure whether he is guilty or not."

Arthur protested but Uther's decision was final. All they had to do was pray that Gaius would confirm that there was no way Merlin had been using magic.

The guards cuffed Merlin's wrists in cold, iron chains and dragged him down to the dungeons. Merlin had seen that place more times in his life than he'd ever wanted to, and yet here he was again, being accused of sorcery… _again_. He was shoved into the cell and the door slammed behind him followed but the sound of the key clicking and locking it tight. Oddly enough, the guards left the cell unguarded, and left Merlin to his thoughts.

Merlin slumped against the wall and slid to the ground. _'I ask Arthur not to tell the king that they thought I was a prince to avoid getting accused of sorcery, and what happens? He tells Uther that I killed a couple of bandits and I end up being accused of sorcery anyway!' _Merlin thought. He huffed out a laugh. The thought that Arthur actually believed that Merlin could be a Prince almost made him burst into a fit of laughter. He'd thought it could be possible earlier that day, but now, it was ridiculous. There was no way he could be a Prince. Admittedly, he was clumsy, weak, and in no way able to play the role of a leader.

Merlin's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cell door clicking open. The elderly physician strode in.

"Tell me what happened," Gauis said before Merlin could even open his mouth.

"We were attacked by bandits and I felt the need to be useful and protect my friends, and the Crowned Prince of Camelot."

Gaius raised one of his big, bushy eyebrows at his ward. Merlin knew that look all too well. With a reluctant sigh, Merlin told the old doctor what had happened.

"It was just, instinctive! I didn't even know what I was doing! I can't explain it and I don't know why, but that's what happened," the warlock exclaimed. Gaius simply nodded.

Uther stepped into the cell shortly after.

"Well, what is you diagnosis?"

"Sire, I believe that he had what is known as an adrenaline rush. It is the body's natural response to ensure survival in dangerous situations. It's a completely natural thing, sire," Gaius informed.

"Are you sure about this, Gaius?" Uther asked.

"Yes, sire. I am certain."

After a moment of silent thought, Uther said, "Very well, release him."

The guards released Merlin from the cuffs and let him leave the dungeon. He rubbed his sore wrists as he trudged to Arthur's chamber; he still needed to help Arthur prepare for greeting the King and Queen of Dissidia. The servant pushed open the door to the prince's chambers.

"So I take it that Gaius clarified that you are _not _a sorcerer," Arthur said. Merlin nodded. "Well, thank goodness, because I really don't want to have to go through the trouble of finding myself another servant. Now, get over here and do your job!" Arthur exclaimed. Merlin tried so hard not to roll his eyes, but his efforts proved useless, for he rolled his eyes anyway.

Arthur disappeared behind the screen and undressed. He reached for the shirt that Merlin handed him and decided it was far too quiet for his liking.

"You know, I've been thinking about that whole 'Merlin might be a Prince' thing," Arthur said. Oh boy, he was thinking. Merlin knew that it was either one of those rare moments when Arthur was thinking about something useful, or one when he was thinking something that would only further prove his stupidity. "I keep thinking that it's ridiculous more and more, every time I see you. But I have to admit, that maybe I was wrong about you being connected with the Royal Family of Dissidia. You're just too… well, too _Merlin_," he said gesturing at his manservant. Merlin nodded franticly.

"Yes, yes, I absolutely agree!" Merlin announced. Arthur was taken aback by the statement.

"You _agree_? If you were a prince, you wouldn't have to serve me anymore! You don't' want that?"

"Well, no. It would be too weird, having other people… bowing down to me. I'm not like you, Arthur. I'm a servant! I…" Merlin stopped, not knowing what to say next. He'd helped Arthur into his trousers and tunic and was slipping his chainmail over his head.

"I think I understand. You're just shy," Arthur laughed. Merlin shook his head and laughed with him.

"Yeah, it's something like that, I guess."

Merlin helped Arthur finish getting ready, and then they headed down to the throne room to greet the King Balinor and Queen Hunith. Merlin felt an odd twisting in his stomach and he couldn't explain it. He only knew that it got worse the closer he got to the throne room.

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><p><strong>END NOTE- like I said: sorry! I do hope you liked it though. I can't wait til my inspiration for this story really sparks up again because I actually enjoy writing this story. It's just my idea back is running on empty at the moment. Until next time, LATERZ!<strong>

**~Allie-K**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN/: Hey... PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I know this isn't a chapter... and I know I'm not technically supposed to do this... But I felt that this was absolutely necessary! I am letting all of my dear, probably enraged, readers know that I am planning on updating this story very soon. It's been so long since I've even watched an episode of Merlin! *sigh* I even had to go and re-read what I wrote for this story so far. I'm VERY VERY sorry for not updating for like an eternity! **

**I'm not sure exactly when I'll have then newest chapter of this uploaded, but if you still want some good Merlin stories, then you can always check out my other Merlin stories. Pulled Under is actually a completed story, ^_^ so no waiting for updates. Or, you could check out Drabbles With the Fans, though that one isn't completed yet. I don't know when it will be either. :) **

**Also, I have written some Fairy Tail fanfictions, if you've ever heard of the anime/manga. I really like it, so if you want to check those out while you wait for the next update of this story, please, don't hesitate. :) **

**Again, I'm very sorry for the lack of updates for the longest time. Please forgive me! I've been absorbed in my Japanese entertainment :) A.K.A. Fairy Tail and the lovely music created by people all over the world, Vocaloid. I will be updating as soon as I can, so just hang in there. Until then,**

**~Allie-K**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN/: Never fear, this chapter is FINALLY here... after what, like forever? Gosh I feel bad for ignoring this story so much. I actually had to re-read what I had just so I could write this chapter. Though, it's not much of a chapter, is it? It's so short! T_T I. Am. SO. Sorry! Please forgive me! Gomen! oops... sorry about that. You guys don't speak Japanese. My bad. Well, enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review. PLEASE!**

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><p>They strode toward the throne room and the feeling in Merlin's gut kept getting stronger and stronger. Finally, after what seemed like ages of walking, they arrived at the door. They stood tall in front of them almost tauntingly.<p>

"Sire, wait," one of the guards spoke. "The Princess, Annah, has arrived and the King has ordered that your servant see to it she makes her way to the throne room," the guard spoke.

"Very well," Arthur sighed. He turned to Merlin, a knowing smile gracing his lips. Merlin nodded and set off.

His heart fluttered in his chest, and Merlin tried hard not to think of all the things that could happen. After all, so many other weird things had happened in his life that his situation could easily be some sort of set-up. Strangely, he'd been trying not to think about a lot of things lately, leaving him to wonder exactly what it was that he should be thinking about.

He briefly wondered what Princess Annah would look like, how she would act. He decided to put that from his mind as well as that thought, too, found its way back to the main thoughts he was trying so desperately to forget.

He'd eventually made his way to the courtyard and stepped into the light of the sun, looking for the princess that he was to escort to the throne room. The warlock lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. Where was she? He didn't see anyone! His heart picked up in pace. If she wasn't here, where was she? What if something happened to her? He'd be a dead man if anything happened to her! Yet again, wasn't that always the case? He was always risking being a dead man. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. And if it wasn't that it was over sorcery.

"Excuse me," a voice sounded behind him, causing his to spin on his heels. It was a young girl, by the looks of it. She stood tall and proud in front of him, even though he was still taller than her by a good three to three and a half inches. She wore a brightly colored cape that glistened in the sunlight. The blue and red colors were stitched together with the greatest of skill, as was the silver crest of a small dragon.

'_The crest of the Dissidian Royal family,' _Merlin thought as he bowed low and respectfully in front of her. Her hood, which covered her head, fell back gracefully to reveal her face, young and radiant. Indeed, her looks did resemble that of a princess. Her raven hair showed a tint of brown as her long locks flowed over her shoulders and down her back to about her waist. She looked lean and fit, like a warrior.

"Welcome to Camelot, my lady," he greeted and stayed low, waiting for her approval to stand straight.

"M- Merlin?" she stuttered questioningly. Confused, Merlin raised his head and stood up, eyeing her with curiosity.

"Y-yes, the king has ordered that I escort you to the throne room upon your arrival. Right this way your ma—"

"Is it really you?" she asked, cutting him off. Her voice shook with uncertainty and her eyes were rimmed with tears that she tried to keep at bay. She had her eyes on Merlin's neckerchief.

"I'm sorry… what?" Merlin was speechless. Could it really be true? What the others had suspected, what he kept denying; was it really true?

The princess reached an arm out and caught the red fabric between her fingers. She twisted it in her fingers and flipped it upside down until she saw the pale thread of the silver crest. Tears fled from her eyes as she let out a gasp.

"It is… Merlin," she breathed out quietly. She clutched his shirt in her hands as she began to slowly fall to her knees, bringing Merlin down with her. The citizens and knights in the courtyard stared curiously and suspiciously.

What was she doing? She was making a scene, that what she was doing, and to be honest, Merlin didn't quite like it.

Annah pressed her face to his chest.

"Merlin!" she cried. "It's you! I can't believe it's really you!"

Tears poured over her cheeks as she threw her arms around his neck, mumbling utter nonsense. Merlin stared at the ground, his eyes wide in bewilderment. He _was _the Prince of Dissidia, wasn't he? But, it was… unlikely, surreal, in fact. Everything was rushing past him in a daze, like a dream. But, it was really happening. Princess Annah had clung to his shirt and sank to her knees in tears.

Annah let out another gasp as a new realization dawned on her. She shot up to her feet, again, bringing Merlin with her. Grabbing him by the wrist, she darted off into the castle. She knew where the throne room was because she'd been there earlier that day.

The doors burst open.

"Ah, my dear Annah, we were just-" King Balinor stood next to his wife as they turned from Uther to the scene at the doors. He'd been prepared to greet his loving daughter with a smile, most likely getting a smile in return, but instead he was greeted with the sight of her rushing in, tears staining her cheeks, with the wrist of Prince Arthur's servant caught tightly in her grasp.

"What on Earth is the meaning of this!" Uther shouted furiously. "Arthur, what has your idiot servant done this time?" he continued with rage. Annah simply ignored them all and continued toward her mother and father, who stared at the boy in amazement.

"It's him! Mother, Father, it's him!" Annah shouted with joy. The two began to let out airy laughs, their faces erupting into an expression of joy and relief.

The Royal Court of Camelot stared in confusion at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"Merlin!" Queen Hunith shouted in joy, rushing toward him with open arms. King Balinor did the same wrapping his big arms around his wife, his daughter, and his now found son. Everyone had broken down into tears, except for Merlin, who was still trying to process everything.

It was all so much. He felt happy, but still skeptical. He didn't remember them, and here they were clinging to him as if they never wanted to let go, like he was a lost object that they never wanted to lose again.

The Court stood by, speechless and confused. Especially Uther, who was just about as lost as anyone could ever get.

"It really is you, my son," Balinor whispered, pulling his family closer.

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><p><strong>END NOTE:I told you guys it was short. But, it's better than nothing, right? I still feel really really really really really really bad. So make me feel a little better by reviewing instead of hunting me down with your torches and pitchforks? I'll try to update this one more often, I promise. So until next time,<strong>

**~Allie-K**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN/: I'm back! I promised I'd update sooner-ish, right? Sorry this is so short. At least I'm updating, right? Just like I promised. Chapters might be a little shorter due to lack of ideas. I still have to main plot in my mind, I just don't quite know how to lead up to it with tons of detail without moving too fast. So, just hang in there with me and we'll get through this. The outcome will be a great story that you readers so deserve. I don't mean to be selfish, but some more reviews would be nice. I'd like to know that my work is being appreciated. And hey, maybe you guys will give me some good ideas as to what I should put in the story! Well, enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>It really is you, my son," Balinor whispered, pulling his family closer.<em>

Arthur almost had to hold back a smile. Merlin was a friend, of course. Merlin had found his family again, and Arthur couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if his mother came back by some strange miracle. It would probably be due to magic, but would he care? If she really came back, how would he feel?

He wondered how Merlin felt. Was he happy? Confused? He stared at the family thoughtfully while the rest of the court just started unbelieving.

Merlin turned to face the woman claiming to be his mother. He hadn't gotten the chance to really look at her face. He remembered his mother's face, so if that woman was his mother he would recognize her, right?

He tried to turn his head, but the other three were surrounding him tightly with their arms, almost securing him in the exact position he was in. With effort, he finally got his head turned, his eyes meeting with the watery eyes of the queen… his mother.

It _was_ her! He'd remember those eyes anywhere, watery or not. That was his mother embracing him, but she was the only one he could remember. He didn't really remember his father, and didn't remember having a sister, but he remembered his mother and she was standing right in front of him.

"Mother," Merlin mumbled, his eyes filling to the brim with tears as he struggled to wrap his arms around her middle. He finally got his arms around her, holding her tightly, never wanting to let go.

One mystery down; he'd found his mother. Next up was to figure out what happened to him, why he couldn't remember anything from his past besides his mother. Maybe he remembered her the most because she was his mother. She'd carried him inside of her for nine months.

Merlin's thoughts were cut short by a booming voice.

"Would someone care to explain what is going on?" Uther shouted questioningly. The huddling family raised their head to look at the confused king. They looked like they were at a loss for words. Why wouldn't they be after something so big had happened in such a short amount of time?

"Father, I think you've interrupted a touching moment," Arthur said, trying to cover for them. He flashed a subtle smile in Merlin's direction. "Why don't we give them a moment alone while I explain to you what I know?" the price suggested.

Uther opened his mouth to immediately shoot the idea down when Gaius stepped forward.

"My lord, I believe that Prince Arthur might right about this. It would be best to give them a moment alone. I will also tell you all the information I know regarding this," the old doctor explained.

With a reluctant sigh and a nod of his head, Uther dismissed the rest of the court, giving the supposed 'reunited family' a moment alone while his son and advisor told them everything they knew.

"Sire, when Merlin first arrived, he was beaten to the bone, lost and afraid. He didn't remember anything but his name, his birthday, and what his mother looked like," Gaius explained as they stood outside the throne room. Uther raised a skeptic eyebrow.

"Why not take him down to the Records Hall and try and find his parents?" the king questioned. He was always so skeptical about almost everything except when there was something to actually be skeptical about.

"I had suggested it, my lord, but Merlin was terrified," the old advisor said in reply. He could never forget the hysterical tears that stained the poor boy's face.

"Terrified?" Uther and his son asked in unison. Arthur was on Merlin's side, but why would he be terrified to check the records if it meant possibly finding his family?

Gaius let out a long sigh.

"He was terrified of what he might've found. He'd just arrived in an unfamiliar place with no family there with him and no memories. The possibilities and scenarios that ran through his mind were what scared him the most. Things like being beaten and abandoned, left behind and forgotten. He feared that maybe his family was dead and his was the only one who survived."

Gaius paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and choosing his words carefully.

"He was terrified of what mysteries awaited him in his forgotten past. He'd created a good life here, with a job, friends, and a home."

"It was a life he could remember," Arthur said, remembering what Merlin had said to him and the knights.

Gaius nodded. Merlin must have talked to Arthur; at least, that's what the wise, old man assumed. Arthur was usually too dense to pick up on the smaller things around him unless he was in battle. And even then, he's usually had Merlin watching, covering his backside for him.

Uther was still skeptic about it all. It didn't seem impossible, but in his mind, it seemed… well, unlikely. He'd heard from Gaius, now it was Arthur's turn to tell the king what he knew. Uther turned to his son.

"What is it that you know?" he asked with a demanding voice.

"Well, I know that it scares him to wake up in the morning and not remember who he really is. He said that having the life he has here helps though. He can focus on what's in front of him, instead of was left behind." Arthur didn't know for sure if that's why it helped his servant, but it made sense, didn't it? If you focus on the present, you can forget about the past, right?

"He also says that he doesn't like people fussing over him," Arthur added. He continued to tell his father about the neckerchiefs his servant kept. Gaius would add his occasional words of confirmation when necessary, letting the king know that what Arthur spoke was true.

Uther tried to keep a reasonably open mind during the conversation as they continued to enlighten him on what they knew. It indeed didn't sound impossible, but _Mer_lin of all people? There was just something about that boy that struck his as odd. He'd spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what it was, but seemed to come up short each and every time.

If Merlin was indeed the Prince of Dissidia, then it would be difficult to continue his examination. As strange as that sounded, he did _examine _Merlin. He was very curious as to what it was about that boy that made him so… _unique_. Maybe if he acted as if he was absolutely fine with everything that was going on, his son's manservant— uh, the Price of Dissidia would open up more in front of others. Maybe Uther could learn more from the boy's family. That Merlin was a mystery that Uther had struggled to solve; a puzzle that seemed to be missing a few pieces.

He decided to take the opportunity at hand, and use it to finally solve the riddle of Merlin. First, a feast was in order to celebrate the return of Prince Merlin to his family. That's what he would do.

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><p><strong>END NOTE: Sorry it's so short. I'll try and make it longer next time. :) Also, does anyone have any idea when the new season is starting? I know they've started filming already, but when will the first episode air? Don't forget to REVIEW please!<strong>

**Also, check out my other Merlin stories: Drabbles With The Fans and Pulled Under.**

**Check out my Fairy Tail fan fics too!: The Dragon Masters and Reasons. **

**~Allie-K**


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